We have had our Bagpuss for several years now, I bought her to keep my wife company when I was away working. She travels everywhere with us, and has been to Venice on the Orient Express, Paris, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and is a veteran of 4 Reading Festivals. You don't need a passport or vaccinations for a Bagpuss and she will happily curl up on our clothes in the suitcase and sleep through the entire journey.

They make ideal pets because they are happy just sleeping, reading or watching television all day. As long as you leave some comics (ours likes reading Dilbert) and the TV remote within reach, a Bagpuss will have enough to keep it entertained all day while you are out at work. Also, they are really low-maintainance. A Bagpuss doesn't constantly hassle you for food or attention, and won't wake you up at the crack of dawn because they think it is breakfast time, like our other cat does!

On the night I am about to describe we had been out for a meal and gone to the cinema. We had seen no change in Bagpuss during the days leading up to the happy event and had no idea she might be pregnant (we have since found out that this is quite common so we no longer feel like we had been negligent). I'm sure you can imagine our shock at coming home and finding her sprawled out on our bed in the birthing position, with her fluffy belly all firm and her birthing zip looking fit to burst!

Heather immediately realised what was happening and quickly changed into her scrubs and rubber gloves and took control of the situation. I felt totally out of my depth, none of my Red Cross training had prepared me for this, but Heather felt confident in what she was doing and so I took a back seat and let her get on with it, although I washed my hands anyway in case things became complicated and I was needed to assist.